Tsukuba-Aiji-en is a minimalist children’s nursing home located in Ibaraki, Japan, designed by Ks Architects. The building, located within a forest and a field, houses 40 children, providing them with a beautiful natural environment. The volumes are composed of five units: three residential units, an office/communication unit, as well as a training unit for parents and children.
An oval corridor connects each of the units, positioned so that teachers and guardians have viewing access to the children. A dining hall is situated between the children’s private rooms, allowing them to socialize and watch each other without obstruction. Glazings located toward the ceiling provides warm illumination into the dining space as well as the children’s houses.
Aluminum gabled eaves provide shadow from the summer sunlight, remaining consistent with the overall design language of the adjacent volumes. The living units, as well as the dining room, are all composed of warm materials, featuring wood panelling on the floors, walls, and ceilings. These rooms also use wooden furniture in order to promote a happy and comfortable atmosphere.
Photography by Hiroshi Ueda and Yoshihiro Asada.